There’s reason to be angry about Tom Brady’s new deal

He’s only dominated the league for 17 years. He’s only won five Super Bowl titles, 3-league MVP’s, tossed 488 touchdowns, over 66,000 yards and guided the New England Patriots to 223 victories.

He’s only elevated himself to deity status in the NFL, winning league MVP and being named the ‘best player’ for his age 40 and 41 seasons.

He’s only taken less than what he’s worth year after year for the betterment of the team.

Yeah, how dare he want a little something extra.

So when it came out that the Pats were adding $5-million in incentives to Brady’s current deal, I, like many, expected these incentives to be something like, “tie your shoes for $500,000”. Or, “breath for a quarter-million”.

Instead, the organization decided to set five million-dollar bonuses which in order to trigger, require Brady to finish top-5 in the NFL in:

QB rating

Completion %

Yards per attempt

Touchdown passes

Passing yards

Statistically speaking, those are not unreasonable benchmarks for Brady to reach, as he’s routinely among the league leaders in each category.

But this isn’t a matter of stats, or salary cap manipulation, it’s a simple matter of respect.

While quarterbacks around the league cash their hefty checks despite doing little to earn them (I’m looking at the golden boy in the Bay Area), it’s not exactly crazy to think maybe Brady should be paid on par with the league’s richest.

Apparently that’s too much to ask for in Foxborough, even when you’re the greatest QB in the history of human existence.

Listen up, Bill. I don’t care if Brady wants the main concourse at Gillette to be renamed ‘Avocado Ice Cream Alley,’ you do it. If he wants a little extra cash, give it to him. He’s earned every penny. But more so, he’s earned the right to be respected. And making him ‘earn’ the extra money at this point in his career is a slap in the face.